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It’s celebrating its 20th year on the market, yet most Americans have never seen one. Park a Mercedes-Benz G 500 V-8 anywhere, and it draws as much attention as the first Volkswagen New Beetle we had in our driveway. But you can’t get one from your Mercedes dealer, as Mercedes-Benz USA doesn’t import them. Happily for the well-informed-and well-heeled-few, Europa International does. Europa-and the notion of making the G Wagen available to American buyers-is the brainchild of Sante Fe, New Mexico’s Dave Holland.

Originally developed for the German military, the G Wagen (full name: Gelandewagen, essentially “cross-country vehicle” in German) caught on as a premium sport/utility in Europe some years ago. And it’s no poseur; the six-beam ladder frame structure is ultra stiff, ground clearance is substantial, and the square-rigged steel bodywork is as aerodynamic as a side-by-side Amana. All appropriate off-roader hardware is there, including a multi-range transfer case and center, front, and rear locking differentials. It’s been powered by a number of gasoline and diesel engines over the years, but mostly various straight sixes that proved only adequate. Bottom line, the G Wagen is purposeful, capable, rare, handbuilt-and expensive.

It’s also much improved for ’99. Mercedes has finally upped the engine ante by giving the G Wagen its first V-8. It’s essentially the same all-alloy SOHC, three-valves-per-cylinder powerplant available in the SL500 sports car, retuned for beefier low-end torque production. In G Wagen trim, it’s rated at 300 horsepower and backed by a five-speed, multimode automatic transmission. Also new is an exceptionally handsome 18-inch wheel and tire package.

In keeping with the G Wagen’s tank-in-a-tux nature, the interior is straight-edged and functional, yet everything is wrapped in ultra-high-quality materials. There’s ample wood and leather, and in spite of its less-than-aerodynamic shape, this is one quiet rig. It feels tall, airy, and a bit tippy at first, but it proves very stable. The big G delivers an amazingly polished ride, considering the truckish underpinnings and the existence of solid axles, front and rear. Air conditioning, cruise control, vented four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, foglamps, heated seats, and power just-about-everything-else is standard, of course.

Stomp the pedal, and the V-8 howls like a Corvette-dual, high-mounted air intakes assure plenty of wooshing intake roar at full throttle. And considering the G’s weight, an 8.5-second 0-60-mph time is more than respectable. Off-road prowess? Unshakable. Confidence inspiring. Great ground clearance, and exceptional traction, no doubt aided by the ability to lock and unlock the various diffs. We found it able to climb anywhere we chose to take it, which will be a lot farther than most would ever go.

Braking performance rivals that of some of the Europe’s best luxury sedans, and off-roaders will appreciate that the ABS is deactivated when the center differential is locked, adding an extra measure of control. Should you desire something smaller and sportier than this four-door, seven-passenger wagon model, Europa also offers a short-wheelbase two-door wagon version or an ultra-cool cabriolet, replete with power folding top.

Purge any perception of the G 500 being a “gray market special.” Europa has been legalizing G Wagens for 15 years now, and does a first class, OEM-spec, 50-state-legal job. There’s nothing you can see, feel, or touch that would indicate that this vehicle wasn’t built to U.S. specs right from the factory. The only tip-off is the price.

The $144,800 tariff is a positively ridiculous amount of money for this rig, no matter how good it is (a comparably equipped G 500 would run $85,000-$90,000 in Europe, depending upon the exchange rates). But remember, 50-state smog and safety certification is expensive, and Holland has to amortize those development and hardware costs over a small number of vehicles each year. He is entitled to a profit, too.

So, yes, it’s a lot of money. But for Europa’s elite customers, who most recently include such folks as Arnold Schwarzenegger (tired of the Hummer?) and Janet Jackson, it means little. Why not get the best, doused with a certain air of exclusivity? They can afford it, and the G Wagen delivers.

We liked Ford‘s revised-for-’99 5.4-liter Triton V-8 from the minute we first tested it. Now rated at 260 horsepower and 345 pound-feet of torque, due to revised heads and improved intake flow, it seemed perfectly poised for some aftermarket upgrading. Tritons have always responded well to supercharging, and Bell (as in Kenne Bell Performance, 909/941-6646) wondered the same thing: How would it respond to some boost?

Full Effect was the source for all suspension work, including a 3-inch drop kit, air springs, and uprated shocks. Colorado Custom provides the handsome polished alloy wheels (18×9.5-inchers), wrapped by 295/45HR18 BFGoodrich Comp TAs. Exterior mods are subtle: Front badging and step plates are removed, and anything that wasn’t painted the factory metallic maroon became that color courtesy of L&G paint.

Bell insisted we take the 410-horse muscle/ute out and “floor it as long and as hard as you want.” We did. Though a stock 2WD Expedition would be at least a second quicker than the 4WD test numbers we had on record, the difference is still considerable. There’s a healthy supercharger whine under full boost, but it’s not objectionable, and the KB trans kit really firms up the tranny’s somewhat mushy shift habits. Otherwise, we experienced no pinging, hesitation, nor other driveability hassle with this 50-state-legal system. The only downside was its slightly jiggly ride, understandable given the low-profile rubber and dropped suspension.

Kenne Bell will sell you an Expedition configured just like this one, or with as much or as little of its upgrading as you wish. If you’re looking for a giant SUV that can blow the doors off ’60s musclecars, this is it.

2000 Mercedes-Benz News and Reviews

It's celebrating its 20th year on the market, yet most Americans have never seen one. Park a Mercedes-Benz G 500 V-8 anywhere, and it draws as much attention as the first Volkswagen New Beetle we had in our driveway. But you can't get one from your Mercedes dealer, as Mercedes-Benz USA doesn't import them. Happily for the well-informed-and well-heeled-few, Europa…